Press Releases
Japan-United States Foreign Ministers’ Telephone Talk
On January 7, commencing at 9:00 a.m. for approximately 15 minutes, Mr. Fumio Kishida, Minister for Foreign Affairs, held a Japan-United States Foreign Ministers’ telephone talk with The Honorable John F. Kerry, Secretary of State of the United States. The overview of the talk is as follows.
1. Foreign Minister Kishida stated that the recent action by North Korea constitutes a grave security threat to the peace and safety of the region and the international community, that this action is a clear violation of relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions and the Joint Statements of the Six-Party Talks and represents a grave challenge to international nuclear non-proliferation regime centering on the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), that it is extremely important for the international community to firmly respond, and that Japan intends to collaborate and cooperate closely with the relevant countries, including on a Japan-United States and Japan-United States-Republic of Korea (ROK) basis, going forward.
2. In response, Secretary of State Kerry stated that he wants to affirm that the United States’ defense commitments to Japan and its other regional allies are resolute, that the recent test is a violation of Security Council resolutions and is damaging to the peace and stability of the region, that North Korea must pay the cost of its actions, and that the United States intends to coordinate closely with Japan regarding measures related to this matter.
3. Lastly, the two sides reaffirmed close Japan-U.S. and Japan-U.S.-ROK collaboration and cooperation.